North Korean soldiers are reportedly determined to commit suicide rather than be captured, the Ukrainian Airborne Assault Forces Command reports, citing soldiers of the 95th Airborne Assault Brigade, who captured the first North Korean prisoner of war.
In 2024, Ukrainian forces began an incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast, with the operation still ongoing. They captured around 1,250 square kilometers of territory, ruining myths of Russian borders’ invincibility. In response, Russia launched a “counter-terrorist operation,” deploying additional troops and air support to repel the incursion. Russia also resorted to using North Korean troops for assistance, with North Korea sending approximately 10,000 to 12,000 soldiers to Kursk Oblast in November 2024.
The Ukrainian soldiers shared details about the capture of the North Korean soldier in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.
Ukrainian troops explained that the North Koreans launched a fierce assault, but drone operators helped by providing critical intelligence about their movements. After the battle, Russian forces began retreating.
“Then, mortars pushed them back, and there were airstrikes—no one came out of that. By the end of the assault, when everything went quiet, one of the drone operators reported seeing a figure moving,” a soldier from the 95th Airborne Assault Brigade recalled.
Upon checking, Ukrainian troops initially mistook the figure for one of their soldiers because he wore a green scarf. But closer inspection revealed it was a North Korean soldier.
“We asked if he needed help, but he didn’t respond. As we got closer, we noticed his narrow eyes and saw his uniform and armor were different from ours. He didn’t respond to Russian, Ukrainian, or English. We gestured for him to surrender, and I showed him to drop his grenade and knife from his armor,” the soldier continued.
During a search, the prisoner had a sausage, which he indicated was “for eating,” and the Ukrainian soldiers decided to leave it for him.
The North Korean soldier had been injured, with a bandaged jaw and arm, suggesting he had received medical assistance from someone.
“We showed him the way to follow us. We kept a safe distance— I walked ahead, and my comrade followed. Our mission was to get him to the designated pickup point.
When the vehicle arrived, he seemed to become nervous. We almost had to pull him out of the trench and towards the road. As we neared the road, there were concrete posts nearby. When I changed positions to monitor him, he rammed his head hard into a post. He seemed to lose consciousness and barely moved afterward,” the Ukrainian soldier said.
Ukrainian forces believe the North Korean soldier might have tried to grab a weapon to resist, but they think it’s more likely he tried to take his own life rather than face capture.
The Kyiv troops note that North Koreans are likely ordered not to surrender and are prepared to die rather than be captured. The prisoner’s equipment was in poor condition, with an oversized bulletproof vest and several layers of jackets underneath, in contrast to the better-equipped Ukrainian and Russian forces.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed readiness to exchange captured North Korean soldiers if Kim Jong Un facilitates the return of Ukrainian soldiers held by Russia. He also released new footage from an interrogation of a North Korean soldier captured by Ukrainian troops in Kursk Oblast.
According to Zelenskyy’s video, the soldier arrived in Russia aboard a cargo ferry alongside more than 100 other military personnel. While he did not personally receive training on Russian military equipment, he indicated that some of his DPRK colleagues did undergo such preparation.
Related:
- ISW: North Korean troops lose about one-third of their 12,000-strong contingent in Kursk Oblast
- North Korean POW reveals he expected training, not fighting against Ukraine
- Ukraine captures two North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia – Zelenskyy
- North Korean POWs in Kyiv: Ukraine’s FM calls for maximum pressure on Moscow and Pyongyang
